Kelly D’Angelo Bringing Her A-Game to Invicta FC Debut

Though had been successful in her pro MMA debut last year following a string of wins as an amateur, strawweight prospect Kelly D’Angelo made the decision to change gyms, and she feels even more the better for it.

“I love it,” D’Angelo told MMAWeekly.com. “It’s been getting used to new teammates and new coaches and new things training-wise. I love it. I should have been here earlier. I had a great gym in the past, but I like the structure they have here.”

While the adjustment to her new gym has gone well for the most part, D’Angelo admits trying to balance her MMA career with her job as a firefighter does have its issues.

“I think the most difficult part of it is sleep,” said D’Angelo. “We actually work 48 (hours straight) and then we’re off for four days. So if we have a busy 48, sometimes I’ll come off with little to no sleep and go straight into training.

“Other than that, it’s kind of comparable. You get the high adrenaline, the stress moments, the physical exertion of it, and you have to stay in shape for both. Also when I’m at work, I still get to work out and train. I don’t get to have partners to train with, but I can do bag work and drills, weight lifting and cardio.”

On Saturday night, D’Angelo (2-0) will make her Invicta FC debut against promotional veteran Sunna Davidsdottir (2-0) in a main card 115-pound bout.

“I know she’s a pretty dominant fighter,” D’Angelo said of Davidsdottir. “I know both of her wins so far have been won by unanimous decision. I’ve seen both her Invicta fights and she seems very well-rounded, and that’s exactly what I wanted.

“Whenever you are up against a fighter who has a deficiency somewhere, you tend to aim towards that a lot. But when you go in with someone you know is well-rounded, it’s cool to know that wherever you go you’re going to have to bring your A-game no matter what. I like that challenge.”

With a busy life outside of fighting, D’Angelo is just looking to make the most of each opportunity as it comes her way.

“I definitely roll with the punches,” said D’Angelo. “I see what happens and go from there.”